Why we built CivAccount
Making UK council budget data accessible to everyone
The problem
Every year, UK councils publish their budget information. This data shows how much money they receive, how they spend it, and what your council tax pays for. It is public information that belongs to everyone.
However, this data is often:
- Scattered across different government websites and council pages
- Hidden in PDF documents, spreadsheets, and technical reports
- Written in technical language that is hard to understand
- Formatted differently by each council, making comparisons difficult
Most people do not have time to search through government websites, download spreadsheets, and work out what the numbers mean. This information gap means residents often do not know how their council spends money or how their council tax compares to other areas.
What CivAccount does
CivAccount brings together official UK government data into one place. We take the raw data and present it in a way that is easy to understand.
Save time
Find your council in seconds instead of searching through government websites
All in one place
Budget data, council tax rates, and service spending for 317 English councils
Easy to understand
Plain language explanations of what your council does and where money goes
Compare councils
See how your council tax compares to similar councils across the country
Where our data comes from
All data on CivAccount comes from official UK government sources. We do not create or estimate figures.
Council Tax Levels 2025-26
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Local Authority Revenue Expenditure
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Population Estimates
Office for National Statistics
Data is updated when new official figures are published. Current data covers the 2025-26 financial year.
Open data: All government data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, which allows free reuse and visualisation.
About the council tax figures
The council tax amounts shown are for each council only. Your total bill will also include charges from police, fire services, and other bodies. This helps you see exactly what each council charges.
About this website
CivAccount is an independent project. It is not connected to any council or government body and does not represent council policy. We take public data and make it easier to read. For official information, check your council's website or GOV.UK.
How we use AI
AI tools help us gather data from official sources, structure information, and build visualisations. AI is a supporting tool, not a source of truth. All figures come from published government data. Read our methodology.